Smile(!) Line

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Kellyc

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Hi guys, feeling really disheartened at the moment and decided to share it with all you peeps, i am only newly qualified but am still experiencing difficulties with the smile line (have previously posted the same prob!!!) its getting a bit more smily!! but not a full smile and its really making my confidence drop im doing another set of nails tonight and will be attempting the smile line another few thousand times but if anyone can give me some tips and hints i will be extremely grateful :sad:
 
Hey Kelly cheer up I saw a lady yesterday with L&P on and they were fine nails but smile line was as flat as a fart - techi she sees qualifiied 5 years ago...so dont' dispair - keep practicing - mine are getting happier slowly you will achiece yur goal but don't give in....ATB loUISE
 
Thanks louise thats made me laugh!

Just PM's you actually about advertising x
 
Smile lines do not all have to mimic the DEEP extreme smiles that you see in competition nails.
In fact, in my opinion there are very few clients whose nails look great with the exaggerated smile line. Unless the nail bed is extremely long, the 'extreme smile' tends to actually shorten the look of the nailbed and can be quite unattractive.

Make your smile lines suit the client. Follow the line that she has and enhance it just a little bit more.

What hinders most technicians from getting a great line is that the product goes 'cold' on them, or starts to set in other words, before they get the line in. (sound familliar?)
Often this happens because they are trying to cover the whole tip as well as do the smile at the sme time. (sound familliar?) DON'T ...
Get your smile line in and done (quickly) and don't worry about the rest of the tip until you are finished THEN stroke from the smile over the tip to move the product into place to cover the tip. (does this make sense?)

When I wath students this is the most common thing that prevents them from doing great smiles.
 
Thanks geeg, i will have a go tonight, im also finding that my smile lines are quite thick i dont know if its the white gel im using to create the smile line or just the way im applying it to the nail!!!
 
Well Kelly ... here's me assuming you are working with liquid/powder ...... NEVER assume anything !!! My dad always told me that.

With gel it is a completely different thing ... you have all the time in the world to get it right.

Well How I do it is:
Apply my base coat gel. Cure.
Apply a first coat of sculpting gel leaving the bulk in the stress area and working back to the eponychium and feathering forward over the tip or form.
THEN before I cure, I sweep my brush carefully along the natural smile line to carve out the shape of the smile then cure or lock.
THEN I apply the white gel and but it up to the smile line I have carved out and ... voila it is perfect (hopefully :o ).

You can make little corrections if you have to with your clean brush along the smile (work middle to corner and middle to other corner, rather than sweeping or you will move the gel.
 
hi

i mainly sculpt with gel but this is how i do it: depending on your gel either sculpt in one layer or two, mine is in one. Apply white gel to centre of tip or form and hovering in the gel sweep from one side to the other and then twist brush slightly to lift off,(otherwise you take the gel with you). Then if i am not happy with my smile line i wipe my brush and sweep lightly round to neaten it up.
 
Ok, i think maybe my application is wrong as what ive been doing recently is preparing the nail and applying the nail tip then apply the white gel one very faint smile line cure under the lamp then apply a second one and again cure under the lamp. I then apply my gel over the top of the nail and white tip. I am applying it wrong?????

I did a set off nails last night and they didnt look too bad still not getting a nice deep smile line but is starting to look good. So i was pretty chuffed last night then this morning my client e-mailed me saying she forgot she had her new nails on was a bit heavy handed and has cracked the tip where the smile line begins. Is this because she was heavy handed or due to the way i have applied it????

This feels like a never ending tunnel please help!!!
 
Hi Kelly,
It's hard for anyone to say whether what you are doing is right or wrong because you havent mentioned what system you have qualified with.
I have used a few gels and each has had different application proceedures.
Eg. Some have separate builder gels, some dont.
If you tell us whose product you're using maybe we can be of more help.
 
Im using Gel System, I am only qualified in Gel and I use IBD products especially for the white tips i use the IBD white gel, hope this helps
 
Kellyc said:
Im using Gel System, I am only qualified in Gel and I use IBD products especially for the white tips i use the IBD white gel, hope this helps

Ella is very clued up regarding IBD, why not PM her for a little expert help??
 
Hi there, don't get disheartened, whoops sorry no good at this spelling lark.

I am not all that good at getting happy smile lines either most of mine look depressed, lol, however like geeg says there are people out there that are not keen on deep smile lines, my mother in law for one, omg don't get me started on her, yikes, any way she likes her whites straight across, handy or what! so do not dispair I can always lend you her ANY TIME!!!!!!!!

Give your self a break and compliment yourself on the great things you can do, the smiles will become happier i am sure with practice practice and more practice. ;)

Kind regards
Grace x
 
geeg said:
Well Kelly ... here's me assuming you are working with liquid/powder ...... NEVER assume anything !!! My dad always told me that.

With gel it is a completely different thing ... you have all the time in the world to get it right.

Well How I do it is:
Apply my base coat gel. Cure.
Apply a first coat of sculpting gel leaving the bulk in the stress area and working back to the eponychium and feathering forward over the tip or form.
THEN before I cure, I sweep my brush carefully along the natural smile line to carve out the shape of the smile then cure or lock.
THEN I apply the white gel and but it up to the smile line I have carved out and ... voila it is perfect (hopefully :o ).

You can make little corrections if you have to with your clean brush along the smile (work middle to corner and middle to other corner, rather than sweeping or you will move the gel.
Just read your reply to probs with smile lines and you are so right about what we do. i always try to spread the L&P over the tip before doing the smile line.Why is that when that isn't the way i was taught????
I think one reason is i am always worried that the product will be uneven on the rest of the tip if i take too long with my smile line. I know practise makes perfect so i will keep trying. I'm not too displeased with my smile lines but they are far from perfect.
Thanks again.
 
Kellyc said:
Hi guys, feeling really disheartened at the moment and decided to share it with all you peeps, i am only newly qualified but am still experiencing difficulties with the smile line (have previously posted the same prob!!!) its getting a bit more smily!! but not a full smile and its really making my confidence drop im doing another set of nails tonight and will be attempting the smile line another few thousand times but if anyone can give me some tips and hints i will be extremely grateful :sad:
Well Kelly I'm in the same boat.... newly trained and having horrendous problems with those smiles.. mine are all wibbly wobbly no matter how hard I try to keep them crisp looking and its sooooo frustrating isn't it. I'm finding that my brush wont push the bead evenly enough to get a straight line.... I try not going too near the line but when it starts going wrong I end up having to use more beads as its dried before I've had a chance to get it all the way across. As a result I get a very patchy white as well as a squiggly line:mad: Now I'm having trouble getting the whole thing right... ahhhhhhhhhh

I have to agree how disheartening it is..... I keep wanting to give up each and every time I do a set of nails! I'm gonna try what geeg suggests and try not concentrating on covering the tip before the smile is done..... what else can we do but keep practicing. If I saw improvements it would encourage but when you consistantly do naff nails its the pitts!

I'm sure we'll get there in end lol others have so why can't we!!:biggrin:

xx Tamm
 
Thanks Tamm, its great too know its not just me!! have again been trying and have tried all different ways but im sure i will get there in the end let me know how you get on and if you find a secret of how to do it x
 
Have to say i've been practising my smile lines which have left alot to be desired, especially when i do my own. (i hate doing my right hand)

Just want to say to you all to keep at it, you will get there!! I am new to this as well but all of a sudden, after listening to much advice have concentrated on smile line first then sorting out the rest of the tip after and it just seemed to fall into place. I nearly yelled for joy when it it happened:o For the first time all my smile lines were the same, it's funny how everthing you've learned seems to just fall into place.

So all you newbies out there keep at it, it will be worth it in the end!!:D:D
 
Kellyc said:
Thanks Tamm, its great too know its not just me!! have again been trying and have tried all different ways but im sure i will get there in the end let me know how you get on and if you find a secret of how to do it x
I'll soon let you know Kelly if I discover anything that makes it easy peasy lol But I think as Talented Talons says follow advice and keep practicing and one day it will click..... its yet to happen to me but I'm glad I've cheered you up.... at least I know I can do something lol:D

One suggestion that was put to me by Shropshire Dawn is that once you've applied your white and done your smile (or grimace) then using a different brush that has shorter bristles and is a bit stiffer.. dip it in a little scrubfresh then sweep the smile line without stopping.... it works a treat for her. However.. I'm still practicing lol but give it a go.... it may work for you.
 
geeg said:
What hinders most technicians from getting a great line is that the product goes 'cold' on them, or starts to set in other words, before they get the line in. (sound familliar?)
Often this happens because they are trying to cover the whole tip as well as do the smile at the sme time. (sound familliar?) DON'T ...
Get your smile line in and done (quickly) and don't worry about the rest of the tip until you are finished THEN stroke from the smile over the tip to move the product into place to cover the tip. (does this make sense?)

When I wath students this is the most common thing that prevents them from doing great smiles.
This sounds sooooooo familiar lol:o and I'm pleased to say that I gave your suggestion a go and its soooooo much easier.... do the smile first keeping the brush at the correct angle then once you've done that press back towards the end of the tip to distribute the remaining product!

I've still got a long way to go to perfect the smile but they're definately crispier looking and more even... its definately worth a go as it does work.

Thanks Geeg!!;)
 
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